Lindera, for Swedish botanist John Lindler; benzoin for its fragrant resins used in medicine, per fumes and incense. Other common names: Wild Allspice; Pondberry; Wild Forsythia; Benjamin Bush. The name benjamin likely connects to the name benzoin which was the name of its earlier genus. All in the Family: Laurel Family. Relatives: Sassafras; bay-leaf, cinnamon, [...]

Phlox is from the Greek word meaning ‘torch’ or ‘flame’. They are often called Sweet Williams. There are also flocks of phlox: Wedding, Garden, Creeping, Moss, Woodland and Meadow Phlox. All in the family: Polemoniaceae - Phlox Family; 70 species of Phlox in US including: Jacob’s Ladder, Greek Valerian; Thrift; many species of lovely ePHemerals. [...]

Common names in Spanish: Hierbabuena; Yerba buena. In the monarch overwintering reserves in central Mexico, there are six genera of mints. These include Lepechinia, Prunella, Salvia (12 spp.), Satureja, Scutellaria, and Stachys (4 spp.). It was mint to be: Worldwide, the Mint Family has 180 genera with over 3500 species. There are 50 genera of [...]

Now considered Eutrochium, a change from the also recent change to Eupatoriadelphus spp. (“brother of Eupatoriums”, its former genus) as in Philadelphia, city of brotherly love ... intended as a refuge for the peaceable Quakers—hence its former name, Quaker City. Other common names: Gravelweed; gravelroot; Queen of the Meadow; Indian sage; thoroughwort; ague weed, feverweed; [...]

What’s in a name: Vernonia noveboracensis. Other common names: Devil’s Bit; Bluetop Stickweed; Flat top. All in the family: Aster Family 2004 NC Wildflower of the Year Ironweed’s common name may have come about by either the dark rusty color of its stout stem or the iron-colored hue on the dark green leaves. It implies [...]

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To recover populations of the 20 species of milkweeds in the U.S. and Canada that are important nectar and host plants for monarchs, as well as other native plants essential to their continued migration in North America....